BIOMETRIC MONITORING DEVICE HAVING A BODY WEIGHT SENSOR, AND METHODS OF OPERATING SAME

• US 20140343443A1
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Yuen, Shelten Gee Jao, Friedman, Eric Nathan, Park, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,084,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0257 using atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0257 Proximity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/029 Humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/107 Measuring physical dimensions, e.g. size of the entire body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 : Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 : Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 : Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4343 : Pregnancy and labour monitoring, e.g. for labour onset detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4872 : Body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 : Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 : Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 : User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/749 : Voice-controlled interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 : Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 : Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 : Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 : calorie expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 : for weighing persons
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/50 : having additional measuring devices, e.g. for height
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3728 : with wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 : User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 : using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 : Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 : Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/125 : the stations being mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 : relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 : for the operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 : Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A system comprising a biometric monitoring device including a housing including a platform to receive at least one foot of the user, a body weight sensor to generate body weight data, processing circuitry to calculate user weight data which corresponds to the user'"'"'s weight, using the body weight data, and communication circuitry to: (a) receive user identification data which identifies the user or a portable activity monitoring device, and (b) transmit the user weight data to data storage associated with the user identification data. The system further includes the portable activity monitoring device including a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the user'"'"'s body, a sensor to generate sensor data, and communication circuitry to receive physiologic data which is based on the user weight data, and processing circuitry to calculate activity data using the sensor data and physiologic data.

Claims

1. A biometric monitoring device to measure a weight of a user, the biometric monitoring device comprising

a first housing including a platform configured to receive at least one foot of the user and capable of supporting the body weight of the user;

a body weight sensor, mechanically coupled to the platform, the body weight sensor configured to generate body weight data that is representative of the weight of the user;

one or more physiological sensors in addition to the body weight sensor; and

first processing circuitry, disposed in the first housing and communicatively connected to the body weight sensor, the first processing circuitry configured to;

a) calculate user weight data that corresponds to the weight of the user using the body weight data,

b) identify the user, and

c) responsive to b), enable or disable at least one of the one or more physiological sensors.

2. The biometric monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

d) responsive to b) and before c), load a user profile associated with the user.

3. The biometric monitoring device of claim 2, wherein c) comprises:

i) determining whether the user profile includes a physiological sensor selection indication; and

ii) responsive to the physiological sensor selection indication, enable or disable the at least one physiological sensor.

4. The biometric monitoring device of claim 3, wherein the physiological sensor selection indication is created based, at least in part, on input from the user.

5. The biometric monitoring device of claim 3, wherein the user profile includes data indicating that the user is a pregnant female and the at least one or more physiological sensors is disabled responsive to the data indicating that the user is a pregnant female.

6. The biometric monitoring device of claim 5, wherein the at least one of the one or more physiological sensors in c) includes a bioelectric impedance body fat sensor.

7. The biometric monitoring device of claim 3, wherein the user profile includes data indicating that the user has a pacemaker and the at least one or more physiological sensors is disabled responsive to the data indicating that the user has a pacemaker.

8. The biometric monitoring device of claim 3, wherein the user profile includes data indicating that the user is a male or a non-pregnant female and the at least one or more physiological sensors is enabled responsive to the data indicating that the user is a male or a non-pregnant female.

9. The biometric monitoring device of claim 8, wherein the at least one of the one or more physiological sensors in c) includes a bioelectric impedance body fat sensor.

10. The biometric monitoring device of claim 2, wherein the user profile is associated with historical data selected from the group consisting of:

historical weight data, historical body fat data, historical user activity data, food consumption data, historical sleep data, and historical user biometric or physiologic data, and the biometric monitoring device further comprises a user interface configured to present the historical data to the user.

11. The biometric monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising an audio sensor configured to detect sounds and speech and generate audio data representative of the detected sounds and speech, wherein:

the audio sensor is communicatively connected to the first processing circuitry; and

the first processing circuitry is configured to identify the user using at least the audio data.

12. The biometric monitoring device of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to, responsive to b) and before c), load a user profile associated with the user and c) comprises:

i) determining that the user profile includes a physiological sensor selection indication; and

ii) responsive to the physiological sensor selection indication, enable or disable at least one physiological sensors.

13. The biometric monitoring device of claim 12, wherein the first processing circuitry is further configured to select the user profile based on at least the audio data.

14. The biometric monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising a dermal print sensor configured to detect a dermal print of a body part placed on the dermal print sensor and generate dermal print data representative of the dermal print of the body part, wherein:

the dermal print sensor is communicatively connected to the first processing circuitry; and

the first processing circuitry is configured to identify the user using at least the dermal print data.

15. The biometric monitoring device of claim 14, wherein the dermal print sensor is a sensor selected from the group consisting of:

a fingerprint sensor, a toeprint sensor, and a footprint sensor.

16. The biometric monitoring device of claim 1, wherein b) comprises obtaining user identification data from a portable activity monitoring device carried by the user via first communication circuitry and analyzing the user identification data to identify the user.

17. The biometric monitoring device of claim 1, wherein b) comprises determining at least one physiological property based on data obtained from at least one of the one or more physiological sensors and analyzing the at least one physiological property to identify the user.

18. The biometric monitoring device of claim 17, wherein the at least one physiological property is selected from the group consisting of:

weight data, heart rate data, bioelectrical impedance data, body fat composition, body mass index, and body fat data.

19. The biometric monitoring device of claim 1, wherein b) comprises analyzing the user weight data to identify the user.

20. The biometric monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the body weight sensor includes a plurality of load cells mechanically coupled to a plurality of regions of the housing, the body weight data includes data that is representative of a load on each of the plurality of load cells, and b) comprises analyzing the body weight data to identify the user.

21. The biometric monitoring device of claim 20, wherein analyzing the body weight data to identify the user comprises:

i) determining a dynamic user weight fluctuation from the body weight data as measured by the load cells; and

ii) identifying the user from the user weight fluctuation.

22. The biometric monitoring device of claim 20, wherein analyzing the body weight data to identify the user comprises:

i) determining a user step sequence onto the biometric monitoring device from the body weight data; and

ii) identifying the user from the user step sequence.

23. The biometric monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising a user input interface, wherein b) comprises obtaining user identification data via the user input interface and analyzing the user identification data to identify the user.

24. A method for configuring a biometric monitoring device to a user, the method comprising:

a) receiving body weight data from a body weight sensor;

b) calculating user weight data that corresponds to the weight of the user using the body weight data from the body weight sensor;

c) identifying the user; and

d) responsive to c), enabling or disabling one or more physiological sensors of the biometric monitoring device.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

e) responsive to c) and before d), loading a user profile associated with the user.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein c) comprises:

i) determining whether the user profile includes a physiological sensor selection indication; and

ii) responsive to the physiological sensor selection indication, enabling or disabling the one or more physiological sensor.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the user profile includes data indicating that the user is a pregnant female and the one or more physiological sensors is disabled responsive to the data indicating that the user is a pregnant female.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the user profile includes data indicating that the user has a pacemaker and the one or more physiological sensors is disabled responsive to the data indicating that the user has a pacemaker.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the user profile includes data indicating that the user is a male or a non-pregnant female and the one or more physiological sensors is enabled responsive to the data indicating that the user is a male or a non-pregnant.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the physiological sensor selection indication is created based on, at least, input from the user.